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FEMA announced three immediate steps the agency is taking to reduce access barriers experienced by underserved populations to its programs that provide individual assistance to disaster survivors. The agency will now accept additional documentation to verify occupancy and ownership and enhance access to disaster assistance for underserved communities.
FEMA will now accept a broader range of homeownership and occupancy documentation to assist historically underserved populations. These changes to FEMA’s Individual Assistance program will help reduce barriers and increase access to support historically underserved communities before disasters strike.
To better support survivors, FEMA is:
- Expanding forms of documentation to prove ownership/occupancy for homeowners and renters.
To confirm occupancy, FEMA will now accept motor vehicle registrations, documentation including letters from local schools (public or private), federal or state benefit providers, social service organizations (such as community assistance programs and non-profits), or court documents. Survivors can also use a signed statement from a commercial or mobile home park owner, self-declaration for mobile homes and travel trailers as a last resort.
For homeowners, FEMA will now accept a public official’s letter or receipts for major repairs or improvements to verify ownership. Survivors with heirship properties, mobile homes or travel trailers, who do not have the traditional documentation of ownership verification, may self-certify ownership as a last resort.
This expansion includes reducing administrative burdens for survivors. If survivors have successfully verified occupancy to FEMA from a previous disaster within a two-year period, they do not need to do it again. Homeowners with the same address from a previous disaster only need to verify ownership one time. FEMA has also expanded the date of eligible documents from three months to one year before the disaster.
Finally, to encourage real-time feedback to applicants, FEMA has trained staff to verify documentation on site while conducting home inspections. This decreases the burden on survivors to appeal a FEMA decision in writing by verifying documents at the time of inspection.
- Expanding financial assistance for disaster-caused disability.
FEMA is amending its current policy to provide assistance to survivors who incurred a disaster-related disability and now require special components, such as ramps or grab bars, to make their damaged home safe and functional for them, regardless of whether those components were in the survivor’s home before the disaster.
- Providing expanded housing assistance and other needs assistance funding.
FEMA will now provide a limited amount of financial assistance for renters and homeowners with disaster-caused real property damage that did not render the home uninhabitable through Other Needs Assistance grants. This will help people who typically are not eligible to receive assistance from FEMA to prevent additional losses and address potential health and safety concerns.
FEMA will now provide financial assistance to repair homes impacted by disaster-caused mold growth.
These policy changes will apply to disasters declared on or after Aug. 23, 2021. FEMA is required by law to verify an applicant’s occupancy for housing assistance and some types of other need assistance. FEMA is also required by law to verify an applicant’s ownership of their home to provide financial assistance for home repairs or replacement.
Additional information may be found at FEMA.gov.
Fourteen members of Congress are serving as 2021 co-sponsors for the 2021 National Preparedness Month. Throughout September, the FEMA Bulletin will feature statements from these members.
- Senator Gary Peters, Chair, Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee
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"Every year, natural disasters are responsible for hundreds of deaths and cause billions of dollars in damage across the country. Following the severe flooding, wildfires and hurricanes we have seen so far this year, National Preparedness Month is an important reminder of how being prepared for an emergency can save lives and protect homes and small businesses. I urge families in Michigan and across the country to use the resources FEMA provides to make an emergency plan and ensure they can stay safe when disaster strikes."
- Senator Rob Portman, Ranking Member, Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee
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"As a proud co-chair of FEMA's National Preparedness Month, I urge Ohioans and all Americans to make a plan, build a kit, be prepared, and teach your children, friends, and neighbors about preparedness. These easy to follow steps can help save the lives of your loved ones when unexpected disaster strikes."
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- Representative Salud Carbajal, Chair, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, and member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
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"As we work together to overcome COVID-19 and contend with the extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change, it is more important than ever to be prepared in the event of a natural disaster," said Rep. Carbajal. "My district knows firsthand the toll that fires and mudslides can take. No one is immune to the threat of a natural disaster and I encourage all of us to be protective and prepare ourselves and our families for an emergency. In honor of National Preparedness Month, take a moment to review your emergency plan and make sure you are ready in the event of a disaster."
Visit Ready.gov to see the list of 14 congressional co-chairs who are helping promote National Preparedness Month throughout the country. You too can help share preparedness messaging by using the social media safety graphics during the month of September.
On Sept. 1, FEMA released the updated edition of the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Flood Insurance Manual, one month before it’s effective date.
The manual presents guidance for FEMA’s new rating methodology, known as Risk Rating 2.0 – Equity in Action. The manual updates existing NFIP underwriting policies and processes to enable effective and consistent program implementation of the new rating methodology. Risk Rating 2.0 provides more accurate flood insurance premiums, better communicates flood risk to individuals and promotes action to mitigate against flooding.
By leveraging industry best practices and current technology, FEMA can deliver rates that are equitable, easier to understand, more accountable to policyholders and taxpayers and better reflect a property’s unique flood risk.
FEMA will roll out the rates to the new methodology in a two-phase approach.
In Phase I, new NFIP policies beginning Oct. 1 will be subject to the new rating methodology and existing policyholders eligible for renewal will be able to take advantage of immediate decreases in their premiums.
In Phase II, all remaining policies renewing on or after April 1, 2022 will be subject to the new rating methodology.
To complement the NFIP Flood Insurance Manual, FEMA released an Industry Transition Memorandum. The memo explains how transitioning from the legacy rating plan to the new methodology will occur and provides business, data and information technology guidance for NFIP insurers and vendors on how to accomplish that transition.
Visit FEMA.gov for more information.
FEMA Announces Funding Opportunities for BRIC and FMA Grant Programs
FEMA posted funding notices for two hazard mitigation grant programs for $1.16 billion.
The Flood Mitigation Assistance and the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities provides funds to states, local communities, tribes and territories for eligible mitigation activities to strengthen our nation’s ability to build a culture of preparedness. These programs fund projects that invest in a more resilient nation, reduce disaster suffering and avoid future disaster costs.
The application period opens on Sept. 30 and the funding notices are available on Grants.gov.
Eligible applicants must apply for funding using FEMA Grants Outcomes, the agency’s grants management system. Submit applications in FEMA Grants Outcome Portal no later than 3 p.m. ET on Jan. 28, 2022. Applications received by FEMA after this deadline will not be considered for funding.
Interested applicants should contact their hazard mitigation officer for more information. For more information visit FEMA.gov.
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FEMA Offers Exercise Assistance to Stakeholders
FEMA is accepting requests for exercise support through the National Exercise Program. State, local, tribal and territorial jurisdictions can request no-cost assistance for exercise design, development, conduct and evaluation to validate capabilities across all mission areas.
FEMA is hosting webinars for all interested governments and other community partners on the exercise support process.
Please visit the webinar webpage to register. The webinar dates are:
- 3 p.m. ET on Sept. 15.
- 4 p.m. ET on Sept. 23.
- 1 p.m. ET on Oct. 1.
Fall 2021 requests for support are due no later than Nov. 1. To submit a request for exercise support, download the nomination form, then email the completed form with any supporting documentation to NEP@fema.dhs.gov. Awardees will be notified by Dec. 10. FEMA will hold additional exercise support rounds in the spring and fall of 2022.
For questions, contact FEMA at NEP@fema.dhs.gov.
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FEMA Seeks Public Comments About the Community Rating System
FEMA posted in the Federal Register a Request for Information to gather public feedback about ways the agency could consider modifying, streamlining and/or innovating to improve the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System. The comment period will close Sept. 22.
These efforts aim ensure the Community Rating System program includes necessary, properly tailored and up-to-date requirements that effectively:
- Reduce and avoid flood damage to insurable property.
- Strengthen and support the insurance aspects of the National Flood Insurance Program.
- Encourage a comprehensive approach to floodplain management.
To submit written comments, use Docket ID: FEMA-2021-0021 in the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Follow the instructions on the page and contact the Regulations.gov Help Desk if you have technical issues.
For additional information on the Community Rating System Request for Information, visit FEMA.gov.
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FEMA to Host Virtual Public Meetings for Proposed Changes to the Community Rating System
FEMA will host public meetings for interested persons to hear about the proposed changes to the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System. All meetings will contain the same content.
FEMA will provide the following information to participants and an opportunity to provide verbal comments for the public record.
The dates and times for the public meetings are:
- 1 – 3 p.m. on Sept. 8.
- 2 – 4 p.m. ET on Sept. 9.
When registering, an option is available to select the meeting date and if you wish to provide verbal comment during the webinar. Once a registration is confirmed, participants will be emailed a unique URL link for the meeting and should not be shared with others.
Participants must register in advance via the FEMA Zoom page; registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. The maximum number of participants per session is 1,000 attendees. All public meetings will be recorded, and comments will be a part of the official record.
Visit FEMA.gov for additional information .
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FEMA Releases NQS Implementation Objectives
FEMA has released the National Incident Management System’s National Qualification System Implementation Objectives fact sheet for final publication. The objectives reflect the concepts and principles to promote consistency in the National Qualification System implementation nationwide.
The implementation objectives clarify the National Qualification System requirements in the 2021 Emergency Management Performance Grant funding notice. Performance grants recipients are strongly encouraged to implement National Qualification System components with their grant funding. Beginning in October 2021, FEMA intends to leverage the Emergency Management Performance Grant program to make the implementation of the National Qualification System a requirement of eligibility for program funding. Jurisdictions will need to achieve or work toward achieving each of the objectives.
The objectives aim to develop organizational qualification procedures, certification program and credentialing standards in alignment with the National Incident Management System Guideline for the National Qualification System. These indicators serve as actionable activities that jurisdictions can use to demonstrate National Qualification System implementation. The indicators are a tool to assist jurisdictions and organizations in meeting the new implementation objectives.
FEMA plans to release a supplemental FAQ for the NQS Implementation Objectives in calendar year 2022.
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